shipping contents of USA house to Thailand

[wdsinspect]

Hi guys,

I am getting mixed info on this from Thai shippers.

Some say we don't qualify for duty free shipping because we stay continuosly in Thailand for over 3 months a year.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of move.

20 foot container with just about everything in a typical house. all used, nothing new.

Thai wife, we go back and forth every year but are now moving over to stay.

Trying to figure charges and duties and wether it's worth moving all the crap at all.

Any help would be appreciated.

[p_brownstone]

You only qualify for Duty Free Import of Household Effects if you are moving to Thailand permanently.

Patrick

[Pib]

From Thailand Customs Department

IMPORTING USED / SECONDHAND HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS

[laolover88]

Don't you love that?!!

[Pib]

Don't you love that?!!

It's true in the Universe of Thailand...a strange universe.

[Langsuan Man]

You can cite all the websites you want and the bottom line is that you will be at the mercy of the Customs Officer is assigned to your shipment

Some pay duty, some don't, and if you want to argue with them about what you read on the website then you can wait while your shipment sits in a bonded warehouse while they respond to your argument

Soon the storage charges will outstrip whatever they originally wanted or the value of your shipment, whichever comes first

[Naam]

use a Bangkok based shipping company to handle everything from your home in the US to your home in Thailand and you face the least possible problems!

[donsonny]

Try to contact white swan relocation in Bangkok. We used them and never pay anything.

[Pib]

Around eight years ago when shipping around 1600 pounds in 16 boxes each almost a cubic yard in size we shipped everything under the Thai wife's name and associated documentation such as Thai passport although she is also a U.S. citizen. Wanted to make everything appear as just a returning Thai resident. Used a U.S. shipping firm/agent who arranged the overall shipment to include the Bangkok receiving shipping agent, with up front knowledge we would pay the Thailand end clearing agent separately to arrange delivery from the Bangkok port to our home also in Bangkok.

The Bangkok end clearing agent contacted us upon shipping delivery...and the total charge to deliver from Bangkok port to our Bangkok residence was right at Bt10K, with Bt3K of that titled as "customary customs fee" which I would be more than happy to pay/not put up a fight over considering the total value of the shipment. We said OK...scheduled home delivery....but the next day the shipping agent called and said customs would not release the shipment until the wife came and signed some forms. Of course I knew the was code for import charges and/or money in an envelope time.

To get the shipment released from customs to the shipment receiving agent we had to go to a govt customs office which happened to be in the Suvarnbhumi airport area...the customs official was definitely trying to extract some brown envelope money and customs charges, but we held our ground. A shipping agent went with us. We had to show the Thai wife's "expired" Thai passport in addition to her current one...point out what the website said at the time in Thai and English, sign some more forms, talk and talk to a couple of customs personnel...blah...blah...blah. When the dust settled customs cleared the shipment...no custom charges to the govt....no envelope money. A few days later we got our shipment delivered to home.

I would only recommend you ship under the Thai wife's name and passport if possible as that should lessen the chances of import charges/customs. If searching ThaiVisa a person will find stories all over the map in whether they get hit with customs charges on their shipment of household/second hand goods to Thailand..whether they were coming over on a retirement visa or some other short/long term visa.

I know it will be hard, especially for the wife (like mine), to not want to bring a ton of stuff. By all means bring those items which have important memories attached to them and other various truly important things, but really try to minimize shipping run-of-the-mill household goods...buy new in Thailand and you still may come out cheaper when considering shipping and possibly customs fees. Plus, you'll have new stuff....wife's always like new stuff.

[55Jay]

Recall vaguely the Thai receiving agent (Santa Fe Relocations) went through my wife's old/new passport copies to ensure she had at least the required 1 year out of Kingdom to qualify, although there are some exceptions - see the Link from Pib.

Far as duty, customs reviewed the packing list and sussed out 3 computers, which exceeded the 1 each electrical component rule, they asked for $75.00 in duty payment, which I considered a gift. Had they opened the container, it would of been a whole new ballgame.

We never had to go to Bangkok, everything was phone/email, shipment delivered to our door a few days later.

I was pretty anxious going into it, but it all went pretty smoothly.

Edited April 21, 2016 by 55Jay

[gt162]

Thanks. Good info.

[Naam]

Recall vaguely the Thai receiving agent (Santa Fe Relocations) went through my wife's old/new passport copies to ensure she had at least the required 1 year out of Kingdom to qualify, although there are some exceptions - see the Link from Pib.

Far as duty, customs reviewed the packing list and sussed out 3 computers, which exceeded the 1 each electrical component rule, they asked for $75.00 in duty payment, which I considered a gift. Had they opened the container, it would of been a whole new ballgame.

We never had to go to Bangkok, everything was phone/email, shipment delivered to our door a few days later.

I was pretty anxious going into it, but it all went pretty smoothly.

in 2005 Santa Fe handled our 40" High Cube container (contents 60m3!) from Florida to Thailand. container arrived with the lock intact which my neighbour put after supervising the loading.

We never had to go to Bangkok, everything was phone/email, shipment delivered to our door a few days later.

same, same!

Edited April 26, 2016 by Naam

[55Jay]

OMG! Dr. Naam and I agree in this. Alert the <deleted> media\¿

Sent from my GT-I8150 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[gt162]

Recall vaguely the Thai receiving agent (Santa Fe Relocations) went through my wife's old/new passport copies to ensure she had at least the required 1 year out of Kingdom to qualify, although there are some exceptions - see the Link from Pib.

Far as duty, customs reviewed the packing list and sussed out 3 computers, which exceeded the 1 each electrical component rule, they asked for $75.00 in duty payment, which I considered a gift. Had they opened the container, it would of been a whole new ballgame.

We never had to go to Bangkok, everything was phone/email, shipment delivered to our door a few days later.

I was pretty anxious going into it, but it all went pretty smoothly.

How much total for shipping from west coast USA to Thailand?

[55Jay]

Recall vaguely the Thai receiving agent (Santa Fe Relocations) went through my wife's old/new passport copies to ensure she had at least the required 1 year out of Kingdom to qualify, although there are some exceptions - see the Link from Pib.

Far as duty, customs reviewed the packing list and sussed out 3 computers, which exceeded the 1 each electrical component rule, they asked for $75.00 in duty payment, which I considered a gift. Had they opened the container, it would of been a whole new ballgame.

We never had to go to Bangkok, everything was phone/email, shipment delivered to our door a few days later.

I was pretty anxious going into it, but it all went pretty smoothly.

How much total for shipping from west coast USA to Thailand?

Dunno. We came out of the middle east and it was a company move. I've seen others post costs in past threads, so they do so here as well. Obviously calling a few companies with approx size of shipment will yield some updated estimates.

[Pib]

You might want to give below shipping company called XSBaggage a review..they will arrange shipment via air, ground, and/or sea. It's who I used when shipping 16 boxes/1600 pounds from Hawaii to Bangkok years ago. They were the cheapest by far as I check numerous shipping companies. The company arranged the local Hawaii shipping company, the local receiving company on the Bangkok end, they arranged just everything. My items actually ended up going from Hawaii to the West Coast and then across the Pacific to Bangkok....just the way stuff out of HI is shipped...took about 5-6 weeks. I bought the 16 cardboard boxes/shipping material and did all the packing myself over a couple of months...then the Hawaii shipping company contracted by XSBaggage came and picked it up one day. We use the wife's name and Thai passport on all the shipment paperwork to help avoid any customs....worked out pretty well. I was very satisfied with the service arranged by this company...call them the middle man that made all the arrangements with the shipping/receiving companies.

http://www.xsbaggage.com/Wxsindex.html

[JimGant]

Pib, would XSBaggage have contracted with a packer to pack you up -- ensuring the box inventories met Thai standards (which is probably just an ordinary listing of what's in the box)? Or, put another way -- what guidelines did you use to provide a listing of your boxes' inventories?

[Pib]

Pib, would XSBaggage have contracted with a packer to pack you up -- ensuring the box inventories met Thai standards (which is probably just an ordinary listing of what's in the box)? Or, put another way -- what guidelines did you use to provide a listing of your boxes' inventories?

Yes, XS Baggage would have arranged packing also. XSBaggage provides packaging/inventory forms to completed, easy to complete forms. For each box I just identified the size, a sentence or two/a few words generically regarding contents, and value. And I low-balled each cartoon's value. For example below is a cut and paste from one of the two contents forms showing how I described each cartoon. And the decription of each box started off as: "Used/Second Hand Household Effects" since the Thai Customs website used that phrase in talking customs free shipments. For electronics items I didn't ship more than 2 of an item (like shipping two DVD players) and I identified them by model number and serial number since I had the shipment insured also. It was an easy process and by far the cheapest I found at the time after contacting at least a dozen shipping companies to include the major shipping companies....roughly half the cost of the major household goods shippers. The wife just had to ship tons of household stuff she had accumulated over decades in the States and other countries...and that was even after having around 6 garage sales over 6 months, CraigList sells, charity giveaways (tax deductions), etc.

[Boon Mee]

I used this guy in Los Angeles who has a shipping company there and all connections here.

Frank is his name (he's Thai) knows his business.

 

http://www.siaminternational.com/

[watcharacters]

On 5/3/2016 at 2:12 PM, gt162 said:

How much total for shipping from west coast USA to Thailand?

 

 

I can't access the "my content" on the site now  but I looked into shipping from the  west coast  last year.      I sent photos and weight and dimensions to shippers.    I had less than 36 cu.ft. and  gave and estimated weight not to exceed 400 lbs.

 

One Bangkok recommended shipper wanted $3600. door to door.       I finally found a shipper who only wanted a bit over $2000.       

 

 

I gave up and used USPS.

 

 

I do recall clearly one recommended Bangkok customs agent said  that all imports are subject to customs.

 

In my thread I suggested an empty box should be charged customs for imported foreign air.    Some people have a good experience but it's all up to whatever customs person handles the import

 

 

I hope your results are different, and good luck.

[tutsiwarrior]

I'm coming home to Thailand after working 4 years continuously abroad and I'll have about 60kgs of clothes, bed linen and kitchen stuff with me when I go thru the airport (duffel bag, suitcase and 1 box)...what are the chances that customs will stop and charge me for all used goods?

 

better to send by post to avoid hassles?

[Langsuan Man]

Between slim and none.

Just walk through the Green channel and you will go right through. Just don't display a duty free bag and you won't even be noticed

[tutsiwarrior]

^to be safe and to avoid hassles I went thru the red lane and they put the stuff thru the xray and I said 'used stuff, bed linen, kitchen stuff, duct tape, etc...' and they waved me thru...

 

maybe they were pleased with my candour...or simply bored...

 

I did get stopped once in arrivals outside of customs with a duty free bag when home on leave from saudi and they ripped my stuff apart to find lemons, arabic bread, packaged hummous, etc and they were puzzled...but ultimately disappointed that their efforts came to nought: 'dese falangs sure is clazy...'

 

 

Edited October 27, 2016 by tutsiwarrior

[JimGant]

Quote

Just walk through the Green channel and you will go right through. Just don't display a duty free bag and you won't even be noticed

 

In Chiang Mai, twice now, even tho' the green line, we had to place several randomly selected suitcases on the xray beltway. Just a quick glance, however, as we were not asked to open any of the bags.